Redeeming Her Brooding Surgeon - Sue MacKay (HMED #1040 - July 2019)

Series: SOS Docs (Book 2)

He couldn't save his friend…

Can she save his bruised heart?

Haunted by the fact he couldn't save his best friend, brooding surgeon Chase Barrington dedicates himself to saving lives. He won't get close to anyone again but is blindsided by a passionate kiss with stunning ex-army doc Kristina Morton. Suddenly Chase is on a roller coaster of emotions, but can he leave the past behind and embrace a future with Kristina?

Very good, emotional book. Chase Barrington runs a Medicine For All medical ship in the Mediterranean, rescuing and treating refugees. He had made this mission his life's work, all in an attempt to assuage his guilt over not being able to save his best friend during an avalanche disaster when he was a teenager. The work is perfect for him - critical, but short-term contact with the patients, allowing him to keep his emotions tightly contained. All of that begins to change with the arrival of Dr. Kristina Morton. She stirs up feelings he's kept buried for years.

Kristina has a mission of her own. After years of not having a place to call home, she's ready to find a permanent position and put down some roots. The director of the previous medical center Kristina worked for suggested MFA as an interim while she looked for that position. Kristina also carries some guilt from an incident in the army when she was unable to save an injured soldier. She's making progress, but the memories still jump up and bite her from time to time. She doesn't expect the sparks that fly between herself and Chase, a man who has no intention of ever settling down.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Chase and Kristina. The sparks between them are immediate and intense, and not welcomed by either one, so they do their best to ignore them. In spite of that, they develop a tentative friendship, as each recognizes the pain that the other experiences. I enjoyed the banter between them as some of their walls begin to weaken. There are some terrific scenes between them, usually taking place in Chase's retreat on the ship, where each of them opens up a little more about their pasts. I especially ached for Chase after the death of one of his patients and loved how Kristina was there for him. But the lowering of those walls also allowed other things to happen, not the least of which was the chemistry between them. Both found themselves thinking far too often about what could happen if they let it, but neither would allow it to gain traction. Kristina wants roots and knows that Chase will never give up his nomadic lifestyle. Meanwhile, Chase is determined not to let himself get that close to anyone ever again.

Things changed when Kristina went home with Chase for his mother's birthday party. Suddenly Chase discovered that he missed home far more than he thought he would. It didn't take him long to realize that it was mainly because of the effect that Kristina had on him. It didn't seem like such an impossibility that he could have a future after all. For Kristina, this trip had multiple effects. First, being with Chase away from the ship made her realize how strong her feelings had grown. Second, having worked for Chase's brother-in-law, Jerrod, at the medical center, had reinforced her vision of what she wanted. Visiting her former coworkers gave her further validation. And third, she was stunned to receive a job offer from Jerrod for after her time with MFA, with everything she could possibly want. I ached a bit for her because the only thing that could make it better would be if Chase came home, too. But even as they gave in to the passion between them, Chase panicked when he thought of letting go of his grief and guilt over Nick's death. I ached for both of them as Chase pulled away from what had been the beginning of hope.

Having gotten to know Chase and his story somewhat in the previous book, Saved by Their One-Night Baby (Ethan and Claire's story), I enjoyed seeing Chase's newly repaired friendship with Ethan. When Ethan returned to the ship to finish his commitment, he noticed the strain between Chase and Kristina. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him poke at Chase and his stubborn refusal to admit that things had changed. I almost lost hope that Ethan would get through to Chase, but eventually, he did. I liked seeing it dawn on Chase that Ethan knew exactly what he was going through because he'd experienced the same roller-coaster of emotions. The ending was fantastic. Chase's "conversation" with Nick was heart-wrenching, but also freed Chase in a way he hadn't felt since he was sixteen. I loved his big moment with Kristina, as he opened his heart fully to her.

Once a Scoundrel - Mary Jo Putney (Zebra - Sept 2018)

Series: Rogues Redeemed (Book 3)

An outcast on the high seas...

The son of a proud naval dynasty, Gabriel Hawkins was born to command the sea, until he leaves the Royal Navy in disgrace and is disowned by his family. As captain of his own ship, he's earned his living in ways both legal and illegal, and his experience makes him the best choice to ransom an aristocratic beauty captured by Barbary pirates.

Having avoided the traps of convention and marriage, Lady Aurora Lawrence is horrified by the prospect of spending her life as a harem slave. Her only hope of escape is a quiet, steely captain who has a history with her captor -- and who will do anything to free Rory. Together they undertake a dangerous mission through troubled waters -- and encounter another kind of danger as attraction burns hot within the close confines of his ship. But even if they endure the perils of the sea and enemy lands, can their love survive a return to England, where the distance between a disgraced captain and an earl's daughter is wider than the ocean?

Excellent book with plenty of action to go along with the romance. Aurora, aka Rory or "Roaring Rory" was touring the world with her cousin Constance, avoiding marriage and satisfying her need for adventure. They were on the way home from Greece when their ship was attacked by Barbary pirates, and they were taken hostage. A demand for a huge ransom was sent to Rory's family. Unable to pay the ransom, Rory's father washes his hands of his troublesome daughter, but Rory's mother doesn't give up so easily. She calls upon a friend who helps her find someone to negotiate Rory's release.

Gabriel is the captain of his own life and boat. A humane gesture caused him to be booted out of the Royal Navy and disowned by his family. Since then, he made his own way in the world doing things that were both legal and illegal. He played a significant role in the previous book, Oncea Rebel, using his skills to assist in the rescue of a British woman. Now his experience along the Barbary coast is called on to rescue another woman. His memories of the coast are not good ones, and he is reluctant to accept the charge until he sees a miniature of Rory. Something about her draws him in.

I liked both Rory and Gabriel. Rory is unconventional, independent, and intelligent. Knowing that she was not ready to get married, she used an inheritance to travel the world. She and her cousin Constance use their adventures to write stories about intrepid female explorers. When they are captured by the pirates, Rory's sense of honor makes her insist that any ransom include her cousin and the crew of their ship. Rory is also practical in that she knows she must cooperate with their captors until they are ransomed. Gabriel was also fantastic. He is determined, honorable and cunning. He will do whatever he must to return Rory safely home.  I loved seeing him use his experiences to get them out of trouble.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Rory and Gabriel. There were sparks between them from the moment they met. I was very impressed with Gabriel and the way he kept his focus in spite of Rory's state of undress. Beyond the sparks, there was also a deeper connection that was immediately apparent. I loved the way they spoke honestly of what was developing between them, and also realized that there was a chance that things would not go their way. The scenes on the ship from Algiers to Constantinople were sweet and sexy as they used the time to get to know each other. The attraction between them also grew. Gabriel's strength and honor were in full force as he resisted the pull in order to protect Rory in case everything went wrong. The resolution was exciting, and I loved how they came together at the end. There was a satisfying wrap-up with both Rory's family and Gabriel's that brought the book to a wonderful conclusion.

The story was packed full of action from beginning to end. The descriptions of the time in the two harems were vivid, and I could effortlessly picture what Rory and Constance experienced. Their fears and frustrations were easily understood. The tension mounted when Gabriel arrived to find that he had a history with Rory's captor. Malek became a slightly more sympathetic character as his reasons for the vast ransom were revealed, but his intentions remained unchanged. I was wholly invested in the story as it moved from Algiers to Constantinople. The pirate attack was vividly described and kept the tension high as they dealt with the unexpected complication. Their arrival in Constantinople was met with treachery and deceit, putting them all in extreme danger. I was on the edge of my seat as Gabriel worked from his side to effect a rescue, and Rory and the others declined to play the victim and fought back. There were exciting twists and turns and an unexpected surprise for Gabriel.

There was also a secondary romance between Constance and Gabriel's second-in-command, Jason. I enjoyed seeing the quieter and more practical Constance emerge from a bit of a shell and find a love she had given up on. I liked Jason's steadfast support of Constance and acceptance of her past. I especially enjoyed the scene as Constance sketched Jason with the goats; it was fun and sweet with an underlying simmer of attraction.

Saved by Their One-Night Baby - Louisa George (HMED #1039 - July 2019)

Series: SOS Docs (Book 1)

Can a shock baby…

…redeem this damaged doctor?

In this SOS Docs story, the last person pediatrician Ethan Reid expects to see on board the rescue boat during his latest humanitarian mission is nurse Claire Durand. The woman he shared an electrifying, anonymous encounter with is now his newest colleague! Life's taught Ethan to keep everyone at arm's length, but Claire's bombshell changes everything. Because Ethan's no longer alone -- Claire's pregnant with his baby!

Good book. The story opened as seventeen-year-old Ethan experienced a life-changing event that left him with a deep well of survivor's guilt. After becoming a pediatric doctor, he spends his life going from one humanitarian mission to another, mainly in Africa. When he gets a call from the teammate who saved his life all those years ago asking him to participate in a mission rescuing refugees his guilt-driven need to give back forces him to accept. The night before the mission leaves, Ethan comes to the rescue of a young woman who is dealing with a drunk Lothario. While escorting her to her room, the power to the elevator went out, and the attraction that had been sparking between them burst into flame. When the elevator restarts, they go their separate ways.

Claire is a nurse with a large and loving family who sometimes feels smothered by them. After ending a long-standing relationship, Claire is ready to spread her wings and experience a bit of adventure. She signed on to help on a medical mercy ship and is looking forward to it. The last thing she expected was a steamy encounter in an elevator with a total stranger. They purposely didn't exchange any personal information, and she never expected to see him again.

The next day they were shocked to discover that they would be working together. Neither was in a place where they wanted a relationship, so they agreed to forget what had happened between them. Unfortunately for their plan, there was also a deeper connection that would not be denied. I loved seeing them spend time together, slowly building a friendship that filled a hole in both of them. I liked how easily they were able to talk to each other about anything. I liked Ethan's support of Claire and her desire to step out of her comfort zone and how Claire encouraged Ethan to open up about his past and the effect it had on him. The more time they spent together, the stronger the attraction was, and the harder they both fought it. I especially hurt for Ethan, who believed that he was not worthy of having a happy future. Both were stunned when Claire discovered she was pregnant. I hurt for Claire, who saw it as an end to her dreams, but already loved the baby-to-be. Ethan had a harder time dealing with the news. I ached for him and his fear of allowing himself to care. His protectiveness toward Claire was pretty fierce, especially when he turned it on her need to do what was right for the baby. The ending was terrific, as an unexpected conversation with Chase opened Ethan's eyes about his actions and motivations. His big moment with Claire was sweet and romantic, with just the right hint of vulnerability on his part.

I thoroughly enjoyed the setting of this book. The look at the plight of the refugees who fled such terror, preferring to face the dangers of the unknown, was heart-wrenching. I loved seeing how hard the staff on the ship worked to help those they rescued. I was moved right along with Claire and Ethan as they worked to save the pregnant woman and her baby.

Ethan's relationship with Chase was a big part of the book. The past haunts both. Ethan because he survived when so many didn't, and Chase because he lost his best friend. Interactions between Ethan and Chase are awkward at best, as they bring back memories both would prefer to forget. I liked that Claire's influence helped Ethan talk to Chase about that time in their lives. Though painful, it was necessary, and I liked the effect it had on Ethan. I'm looking forward to reading Chase's story, as he is just as broken as Ethan was.